I am a Scientist
by therisingharvestmoon
Summary: Shore leave drabble/oneshot. Featuring Bones, Spock, Chapel, Uhura and drunk!Kirk.


'So,' Doctor McCoy spoke over his shoulder while packing supplies into his emergency kit, 'Shore leave is on us again, eh, Spock? You gonna join us this time?'

He doctor could feel rather than see the Vulcan's raised eyebrow. McCoy smiled to himself; he loved asking the same questions and criticising the same certain aspects of Spock heritage. It was often met with sardonic quips from the former, and an unusual upward tilt of his mouth.

McCoy was still smiling as he turned. Spock approached his shoulder with his arms clasped behind his back. 'Yes. Yes I do believe I am.'

McCoy's eyebrow's shot up. 'For real? _You're _going on shore leave? To the parties and everything?'

'For what reason would I lie, doctor?' He queried.

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. In his periphery, he saw Nurse Chapel enter and busy herself with a tricorder to take down with her to the planets surface. It brought a smile to his face when he thought of how she was trying to remain inconspicuous. For her sake, he kept Spock's attention this way.

'But I didn't think you liked shore leave. In fact, I remember you saying that you'd rather lie down and conserve energy than go runnin' up and down some grassy knolls.' McCoy chuckled. 'Don't tell me you're going to join me in a Romulan Brandy now, Spock?'

Spock's mouth twitched slightly, the closest he ever gave to a smile.

'Captain Kirk suggested I get some rest, especially considering what we've all been through these past few months. I was not about to disagree with a direct order from the Captain, especially one he thinks is beneficial to my health. '

'So you'll take me up on my offer?'

'I would not like to 'push my luck', as they say, doctor.' Spock said, with as close to a bemused grin as his expressionless face could muster.

And with that Spock turned to leave, as he did after banter with the doctor. McCoy liked to think that it was so the Vulcan could have the last word. He watched as Spock swooped toward the door, where a startled Christine Chapel looked up at the Science Officer with wide eyes and an open mouth. If she was facing the other way, he would have slapped his forehead.

'Nurse Chapel,' Spock greeted her solemnly.

She gathered herself and got out of his way. 'Mr Spock. It'll be good to see you there… I… Hope you enjoy yourself.'

'Thank you for your wishes, as unnecessary as they may be. If you'll excuse me.'

McCoy watched as she stared after him, with a look on her face that said _I love you; don't let the automatic doors hit you on the way out. _

His chuckling brought her back to reality and she turned, blushing.

'All tricorders are ready to go, doctor McCoy.'

'Yes… Thank you, Nurse. For your double-checking, as _unnecessary as it may be._'

She looked at him, clearly stung by his mockery of the First Officer.

'Aw, gee Christine, I'm sorry. At least I can tell when you're upset, unlike that emotionless hobgoblin.'

Thank gosh, his joke seemed to work and she smiled. 'I just don't understand, Leonard. Is he like that all the time, or just to me?'

McCoy scoffed jokingly. 'To you? Oh come on, he's much worse to me.'

'Yeah but… You're always like that together, joking around. Is it because I'm serious when I speak to him? Should I kid a little more, like you?'

He sighed – she clearly wasn't going to let this go.

'Now I see this is about the virus, isn't it?' She blushed a little more and nodded. 'Yeah, I thought so. Well for one thing Christine, I'm not a woman. Jim and I can joke with Spock because it makes light of serious issues.'

She looked down. 'As good jokes do.'

'He pretends to be confused as our literal meaning, because it's his way of taking the mickey back. Because he knows he can't come up with the jokes we do himself, he uses their literal interpretations against us. He's a scientist. Analysis and freaky sensitivity.'

Chapel smiled again. 'But if he is so sensitive to human emotion… You know, despite what he says in jest… Then I wonder how he really feels about me… About what I said, the other day…'

'Oh come on, Christine. I know men on Vulcan treat their women strangely, but he's half-human too. His best friend is a human. And just because he doesn't always… Sorry, never ever shares his emotions, doesn't mean he's not feeling them.' He watched her staring fixedly at the bench. 'You know… Maybe you should just ask him how he feels about what you said. Ask if things are cool between you now. Then maybe you won't have to be so nervous around him and agonise over him all the time.'

She looked up. 'Oh but that's just it! If it wasn't for that virus, I would have never… Well, the point is, I don't think I could bring it up again. And besides, he probably just thought it was sorted with the apology. And it should be… I just. I just…'

'You're not over him,' he said, matter-of-factly.

Chapel was silent.

'Well, Spock or no Spock, its shore leave. We should have some fun. You especially! Let's go so we're not the last to be beamed down – God knows I'll have to deal with some cases of alcohol poisoning tonight! Maybe even my own...'

It sounded as though the prospect wasn't exactly a terrible thing. Chapel grinned and followed McCoy to the transporter room, tricorder in hand.

Nurse Chapel didn't often see the Captain or any other of the crew members. She got along with Lieutenant Uhura well. They often discussed things too feminine for Leonard's ears, and it was nice to know another woman not solely interested in getting the attention of Kirk. And then there was Kirk, and the rest of the crew on the bridge. Though charming and attractive, he was just as charming and attractive as every other man. And it made her think of Roger. So she simply let herself enjoy talking to Kirk, Sulu, Uhura and McCoy in this small group, without any other attachments. It was, as Leonard said, fun.

'That's a nice dress you're wearing,' Sulu commented, and Uhura nodded her agreement. She was glad they were trying to make conversation, as she was merely a ward nurse far inferior to them.

'Thank you, Mr Sulu.'

'Black suits you,' Uhura said, winking, and wrapping her arm around Christine's shoulder. 'Does it come in friend?'

'You know it does.' She giggled for the first time. They had found a bar of course, as McCoy craved alcohol like water. And she was glad to run into crew members other than Spock. Chapel knew she couldn't avoid him the entire week of shore leave, but she liked not feeling the fear or embarrassment that came as naturally as breathing when he was around.

A nice, light-hearted song came on, and Uhura grabbed the hand free from holding a drink. 'Let's dance.'

'All right.' Chapel smiled.

She had to keep the vigorousness of her hip-swaying to a minimum to avoid spilling the drink. She wish it was in a bottle instead of this inconvenient, cone-shaped glass. No, she _was _going to have her own fun. The dress and matching Alice band and black stick-on eyelashes – they were all her own.

Chapel dipped and swayed, having a fantastic time. Perhaps it was the dark lighting or the music that created the mood, but now that she was on shore leave, she was actually enjoying it. Then of course it might have been the absence of a certain First Officer that was lightening her mood. She's been avoiding him for weeks.

'Ah, there you are! Uhura, Sulu, Bones! And Nurse Chapel, excellent, excellent!'

Chapel turned to the slightly intoxicated voice of Captain James Kirk, holding his Science Officer by the shoulders.

'Hello, Captain Kirk.' She said good-humouredly.

Unfortunately, he pushed his way into the group with Spock, slamming the Vulcan into her shoulder. For a moment they were glued together, and then Kirk stumbled, making Chapel's electric blue carbon vodka slosh down her front. Her eyes met Spock's inscrutable face for a moment, and she could almost see the red of her face reflected in his eyes.

McCoy watched as Christine turned and practically bolted toward the bathroom. Uhura followed. He was glad to see Spock had untangled himself from Jim, who was ordering another drink with Sulu. McCoy downed his brandy and sat the glass down with a chink.

'That went well. Huh. You gonna drink anything Spock?'

Spock's eyebrow rose. 'I try and function on science alone.'

'Oh, never mind.'

She mopped her front with a falling apart paper towel and stood under the automatic hand-dryer, red-faced and hands shaking. Oh God don't let anyone come in here now.

The heavy bathroom door groaned open and Chapel's heart stopped. It was Uhura. She breathed.

'Oh, it's you.'

Uhura raised an eyebrow and grabbed some paper towelettes to help. 'Um… Who else would follow you into the ladies bathroom?'

She went even redder, if possible. 'No one.'

* * *

><p>This oneshot didn't really have a point, I just wanted to write a small pointless Spockel Spirk Spones Uhurel fic. :P<p> 


End file.
